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Post by Arcana on Mar 15, 2024 12:38:38 GMT
I did a quick search but couldn't find any info regarding this.
I read a few articles mentioning that it's often possible to get a cheap ticket and then when arriving at the theatre you are able to upgrade to a better seat for cheap or free. Only tried it twice and was both times greeted with a 'are you willing to pay the remaining price?' - which I wasn't. So, just wanted to see if that's something common or not? Or do people just move to empty seats without inquiring? I imagine this is a lot easier if there's 100 empty seats as opposed to 5.
I'm thinking this might be more common in smaller theatres outside West end?
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Post by ceebee on Mar 15, 2024 13:27:12 GMT
Some places are getting very hot on seat swapping (Old Vic for instance) where additional ticket checks sometimes happen when re-entering the auditorium. I'm old school - sit in the seat you paid for or get an upgrade. I did see a couple recently who had "upgraded" themselves have to do the walk of shame when the people whose seats they had occupied happened to arrive around fifteen minutes late. All a bit awkward and disruptive.
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Post by Arcana on Mar 15, 2024 13:40:34 GMT
Yeah, I totally get that. I wouldn't move unless I saw a lot of empty seats next to each other. If there's just 2 seats and you decide to upgrade yourself, you are just asking for trouble.
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Post by cavocado on Mar 15, 2024 15:15:50 GMT
I have moved myself a few times when there were plenty of spare seats further forward, or I've been upgraded on arrival when a theatre has closed the circle due to poor sales. I've only asked when I've had a good reason e.g. a child kicking my seat throughout act 1, or my friend being on crutches and finding it painful to sit in her seat. Otherwise I'd just put up with the seat I paid for.
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Post by starlight92 on Mar 15, 2024 15:36:17 GMT
Yes this happened to me when I went to see Shirley Valentine, I was originally sat in the heavens with a really awful view, because that was probably the only remotely affordable ticket price. Then I was approached by a member of staff who said there was a free seat in the stalls and asked if I wanted to pay £10 to upgrade to it - so of course it was a no-brainer! I had a perfect clear view from the new seat.
As for seat swapping for free, the only thing I've done is move a few seats further down the row at Wicked post-interval, for a more central view. I'm not too sure how much you'd be allowed to swap seats if it was a significant change, so I prefer to just stay in my regular seat.
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Post by Dr Tom on Mar 15, 2024 16:12:55 GMT
I know that some theatres will offer a discounted upgrade on the day, but I don't have a list of which ones. That would be useful information.
I wouldn't do this regularly, but when there's obviously a big block of seats free at the same level, I would consider moving. You often get a feel for certain theatres. Moving a few seats along the row to be more central/avoid a head in front etc I'd consider acceptable (although I wouldn't do this to then block the view of someone behind) - you can then easily move back if someone does appear. The only time I've ever really had a problem is when a theatre upgraded a load of people around 15 minutes into a show and moved them all forward. I was one of several people who had moved across, but others had also moved and so blocked the area in between my original and claimed seat. I did go back to my original seat but had to go the long way around. I'm not sure the poor usher ever understood what was happening, or if the people they were moving all ended up with seats in the new area or not.
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Post by longinthetooth on Mar 15, 2024 16:48:27 GMT
I recall two elderly ladies eyeing up a couple of vacant seats in the middle of the row in front of me, as they didn't like the ones they had at the end of the row. Meanwhile, a man at the opposite end of the row was also after one of the empty seats, which were nearer to his friends. It literally descended into "I was here first" from the ladies, to "I want to be near my friends" from the man. In the end FOH was called, who consulted an Ipad and said no one could have the seats as they were marked as sold. As soon as the lights went down the ladies promptly moved into the vacant seats regardless. I think we were all hoping someone would turn up late to turf them out!
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Post by manchestertheatrefan on Mar 15, 2024 17:32:22 GMT
As I usually buy tickets in pre-sales, I'm usually close to the front and centre, so have decent seats. Although a few weeks back I was at the Lowry, in the second row on the left, by the end of the first act the 4 seats to the right were still empty so moved across as they were more central - slightly annoying someone in the row behind as they were using the seats as a clothes rack.
Over the years I have seen a few occasions were someone has claimed someone else's seat and then refused to move.
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Post by lynette on Mar 15, 2024 18:16:03 GMT
At the NT ( Octopus) a seat was vacant in front of us , end of a row. A woman came in interval and loitered, obviously was going for the seat. I put my coat over the back of it. Turns out I did the right thing because the seat was taken after interval by its owner who was late. ( coat/bag/person spreading services for hire)
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Post by Arcana on Mar 15, 2024 20:59:45 GMT
So judging by the replies, it doesn't seem like asking for a cheap/ free upgrade at the theatre is a thing that many people do.
Most of the time I'm quite happy with my seat but there are times when I'd only watch a show cause it's cheap. This is usually cause I bring the kids and when you end up buying 3 or 4 tickets, it does add up. Especially if it's for a show that I personally have little interest in.
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Post by Mark on Mar 15, 2024 21:06:17 GMT
I work for an airline and requests for upgrades are persistent throughout the boarding process. Can imagine some people will also try it on at the theatres.
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Post by marob on Mar 16, 2024 1:03:22 GMT
Varies hugely from theatre to theatre. I booked a cheap seat for 42nd Street, front row but off to the side and flagged as having restricted legroom. Regretted booking it and as soon as I got to London I went down to Drury Lane to ask to move across the aisle. The guy on the box office acted like it was like it was something major, and practically tried to talk me out of it, even though I was willing to pay the difference.
On the other hand when I saw Long Day’s Journey into Night (the Lesley Manville/Jeremy Irons one) I noticed there were unsold seats and the dynamic pricing had moved the pricing bands down, so that better seats were available for the same as I paid for one further back. Went down to Wyndham’s an hour before the start and asked the box office and the guy there let me move, and because I’d booked directly with them he did it for free.
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Post by Dawnstar on Mar 16, 2024 20:04:21 GMT
At my local theatre, the Cambridge Arts Theatre, they never do any ticket discounts even if you ask at the box office only minutes before a performance when less than half the tickets have been sold. So I've several times bought the cheapest seat I can at the back of the stalls then asked the ushers once I've got into the auditorium if I can move forward. Usually it's allowed, to various extents, e.g. most recently I was allowed to move from row U to row N.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 16, 2024 20:36:34 GMT
At the Bridgwater Hall in Manc I went to a concert and realised I’d booked a seat with no legroom, at the interval I asked if I could move to a seat, at the same price, further back but with more leg room. Wow. The performance. “I’ll have to ask the FOH manager”. At the very end of the interval the message came back from their highness the FOH manager to say I would be allowed to change seats “on this occasion”.
I haven’t been back since.
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